Intervention of Rev. Raymond MOUSSALLI, Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans (JORDAN)

We are a part of the history and of the culture of this Middle Eastern region, and if we should be forced to abandon it we will lose our identity within the next generation. For this reason I hope that out of the Synod will emerge the need for a much closer collaboration between the heads of the various Churches in mutual dialogue with moderate Muslim brothers. As we know, our Churches, together with the clergy in Iraq, are being attacked. There is a deliberate campaign to drive Christians out of the country. There are satanic plans by fundamental extremist groups that are not only against Iraqi Christians in Iraq, but Christians throughout the Middle East.

Chaldean Catholic Christians make up the majority of the refugee community that has the vicariate of the Patriarchate of the Chaldean Church as its point of reference, they are about 10,000 people. Further, there are Assyrians, Syrians, Armenians and approximately 10,000 more who live in Jordan with 350,000 Muslim Iraqi refugees. They are living in conditions of extreme poverty with no hope of returning to the land of their ancestors. For years, they have lived in situations of great tribulation often culminating in acts of real persecution. As the Church we are committed with Caritas, the Pontifical mission, other organisations (education - catechism - health - socio-pastoral initiatives... ) but our means are limited. The majority of the refugee community has delivered to us documents that contain written testimony addressed to diplomatic representatives of Western countries (the United States and Australia in particular) and to the Amman Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to obtain recognised refugee status. According to their sources approximately 50,000 people are registered.
We want to make the international community aware that it cannot remain silent in the face of the massacre of Christians in Iraq, the countries with the Catholic tradition, so that they might do something for Iraqi Christians, beginning with placing pressure on local Government”. We are experiencing a time that is catastrophic for the emigration of families and the loss of our population which still speaks the Aramaic language spoken by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[00117-02.05] [IN091] [Original text: Italian]